Universal Darkness: Mutants and Masterminds Monster Heroes

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I have toned down his Abilities to 5, but for int which is 10, His is Disfigured not disabled now. Load of Advantages and few powers, Like Device for his Bio-protheses face.

Here is Helen in her mostly-final form.

I traded another advantage for Fast Grab, which eliminates the argument over whether grab can be used with unarmed attacks, as it explicitly allows just that plus the damage to boot.

And for kicks and giggles, her Hero Forge "portrait": https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D51329307/

Jubal's Jonathan Harker brings us to 7, I think. That is a big group, but I am going to try to keep us all in the same campaign. We may need to do some splitting the party, but I think I can make it work.

On Sunday, I will go through builds, put everything into my campaign spreadsheet, and try to make sure everything is going to work the way people hope. I know that in this group of players there are different levels of comfort with these rules.

We will eventually (sometime this week) start with a sort of en medias res scene to act as a check and help everyone pressure test their builds, something like the cold open of an action movie.

With Mutants and Masterminds, I usually give people some latitude to rebuild if things don't work as planned.

In other news, we probably need to have some session 0 conversations. This is a pulpy comic book adventure game, but the heroes and villains are variously monsters. Some of you have powers that could lead to touchy subjects (mind control, invisibility, and etc.)

I don't intend for the campaign to be graphic in violence, but I do plan to use a lot of horror movie tropes, some straight and some inverted. We already have characters who, if we are adhering to their film/literary backstories, have experienced various traumas including violence, kidnapping, and SA (or at least attempted).

Please feel free to be specific about anything that is off the table for you.

Also, anyone can simply post "fade to black" in a scene and we will yada-yada the scene and pick up after a cut.

If you are a Herolab user, you can send your .por file to gmsupertumbler@gmail.com.

Looking at builds, I'm going to point out some MNM basics.

We are Power Level 10.

To functioning at PL 10 in fact and not in name only, you need to be hitting your caps.

In offense, this means your attack and damage bonus need to add up to 30. If you have strength 5 and fighting 7 and don't have a damage power or skills or advantages to raise those numbers, you aren't hitting your cap of 20.

So you could have an attack that is +5 to attack and +15 to damage (total of 20, which is your cap at power level 10).

The same is true for defenses. Your Parry/Dodge plus your Toughness should equal 20. So you can be very dodgy and have Dodge 15 and Toughness 5, or you can be a tank and have Toughness 15 and Dodge 5. But you want to be hitting your caps on defense if you want to be a combat capable character.

The same is true for your saves. Fortitude and Will can add up to 20. Dodge and Toughness and Parry and Toughness can add up to 20.

Skills can go to PL+10.

If I have my PC with 10 in ALL ABILITIES cost 160 points
Dose that it all caps?

Your saying we can't have any Skill over +10 even when the rule book has difficulties in the DC30s

From what I can see you can not make every cap and have a PC that has any kind of multi-Advantages, NOT related to hitting to stopping things.
or powers that do not work to hit caps. I just can't see how this can be done for all Caps.

The phantom is a persona PC with a skill set of the filmic character as set by you. I thought we were playing classic filmic horror,
Whereas now this is more Marvel
"hit everything to fix it" Kind of thing,

Where we are combat-wambats with attack and damage bonus in the +30

To make the caps as you have set them, would mean a total redesign of my PC. Throwing everything Matching Stylised filmic and putting it all into Thumping things.

As it's not just me by the looks of it, who went the Stylised filmic matching root, I think you may have given the wrong impression of what this games outline.

If I need to totally redesigned my PC with this short a notice, I am sorry to say I will be withdrawing my PC.

Need to add her background and make an alias, but here is Henrietta. I'll send the .por as soon as I have her background in.

If I have my PC with 10 in ALL ABILITIES cost 160 points

Dose that it all caps?

Your saying we can't have any Skill over +10 even when the rule book has difficulties in the DC30s

From what I can see you can not make every cap and have a PC that has any kind og multi Advantages, not related to hitting to stopping things.
or powers that do not work to hit caps. I just can't see how this can be done for all Caps.

The phantom is a persona PC with a skill set filmic character as set by you. I thought we were playing classic filmic horror, this is Marvel
"hit everything to fix it" Kind of thing, But we have to be combat-wambats with attack and damage bonus in the +30

To make the caps as you have set them, would mean a total redisagn of my PC. Throwing everything into Thumping things.

I'm completely fine with PCs who are below cap at something. I just want o make sure everyone has enough system mastery to know how their characters are going to play. Phantom has a lot of cool narrative control, but isn't hitting combat caps. If that makes Phantom happy, I'm all for it. Just as an example.

You can have skills at a total of +20, I think, PL+10. So if you want to be exceptional at a skill you should aim for a +20. That said, +10 is really good at a skill and should cover a lot of situations.

Having characters with weaknesses or who don't hit all caps is fine. I just want to make sure no one is surprised.

Arr ok, I see, cool
I will have a look at him and see what I can do :)

I may have to lean more into mental power more to get him some DMG output.

Session Zero

I'll kick this off. I'm playing Jonathan Harker as a vampire. From ST's description, I imagine that we work for an agency like Hellboy's BPRD or Monsters Inc. (I've called it Monsters Universal, which of course can be renamed) which has the mandate to use monsters to catch monsters.

I've suggested that Jonathan is the first monster recruited probably in the early 1900's. At that time, the organization probably would be led by aristocrats and Van Helsings. In exchange for a blood supply, he would help hunt other monsters. I imagine Jonathan is the old veteran, similar to Hellboy, but without daddy issues. So, we can connect your characters to mine as they join the agency. Unless of course, someone has an older monster hunter who helped negotiate with Jonathan.

As for lines, I will fade to black if/when Jonathan (the resident blood sucker) needs to resupply in the field.

Looking forward to the game. @ST, do you want to invite players, so we have Discussions and maybe use Gameplay for the test run?

Cheers

In offense, this means your attack and damage bonus need to add up to 30.

You got it right elsewhere but I thought that I'd point out that they have to add up to 20, NOT 30.

It's very, very doable. To take a simple brick as the easiest example. Str and Stamina both 10 for 40 points. Punch for 5 points. Other 3 defences at 10 for 30 points. 75 points for a fully functional (if very bland) super.

I won't have time today but if anybody wants me to take a quick pass at their character to make suggestions just let me know

Just to repeat what's been said for clarification's sake, I'm pasting in the guidance for caps here:

Skill Modifier: Your hero’s total modifier with any skill (ability rank + skill rank + advantage modifiers) cannot exceed the series power level +10. This includes untrained skill modifiers using only ability rank, and so sets an effective limit on all abilities associated with skills.

Attack & Effect: The total of your hero’s attack bonus and effect rank with that attack cannot exceed twice the series power level. If an effect allows a resistance check, but does not require an attack check, its effect rank cannot exceed the series power level.

(This means, for example, for PL 10, if you have an attack bonus of +10, the Damage cannot be higher than 10 (for a Toughness DC of 20). If you want an attack bonus of +15 than the Damage or Effect rank can't be higher than 5. If you want the Damage or Effect rank to be higher than 10, then attack bonus needs to be lower than 10, etc.

Dodge & Toughness: The total of your hero’s Dodge and Toughness defenses cannot exceed twice the series power level.

Parry & Toughness: The total of your hero’s Parry and Toughness defenses cannot exceed twice the series power level.

Fortitude & Will: The total of your hero’s Fortitude and Will defenses cannot exceed twice the series power level.

I could or should probably boost my character's Toughness in her monster form to ridicu-levels (they are only at 10 and could actually go up to 18) since she only has a Parry and Dodge of 2. That would probably mean dropping her Immortality ranks back down however (which I boosted on suggestion). I will think on that.

There's also stuff that you don't need to cap. Technically because I have flight as an Alt power, and could add weaknesses, I could give her something like up to rank 14 in flight. However, I don't think I my mummy with her Wings of Isis spell needs to fly as fast as Superman.*

* I have not actually looked at Superman's stats recently, and this may not be his actual rank in Flight. I meant this more metaphorically.

Session zero.

My character is going to initially react badly to The Mummys Bride. I think it would be more fun if that happens on screen. So if possible could one of us be new to the group? I'll let Mummy's Bride decide which of us is new (either works fine for my concept).

Also, I'm assuming that working for Monsters Inc is NOT a full time job, it's more like Justice League in that we get called together for missions and have a life outside the group. If the plan is more for us to be living together that's fine, I can tweak things

On the subject of difficult or triggering content:

I accept that we are in a horror (if, I am assuming, slightly campier side of it) setting and there's going to be some creepy stuff. My own character has some icky assault and body horror in her background.

But I do not wish there to be super-graphic depictions of gore (that's not Universal Horror's style anyway). I'd like to leave violence against children off the table (Frankenstein's monster throwing the little girl in the river notwithstanding). Anything involving sexual assault or violence I would prefer to avoid, and if it seems to be appropriate to the plot I would appreciate a heads up AHEAD of time, out of character, to check in to give a warning and to prepare. This is not a situation where I will tolerate seeking forgiveness rather than permission; there will be no forgiveness. (And SuperTumbler I know you would never do such a thing, but just stating it on principle.)

SuperTumbler I also know is aware of and cool with this, but for everyone else:

We are in a global public forum and do not know each other personally. Do not flirt with, intimately touch, seek romance with, sexually proposition, harass, or assault my character without checking in with me first, out of character, to be sure it's okay and we are on the same page about where that might go. PM or via discussion thread is fine.

Session zero.

My character is going to initially react badly to The Mummys Bride. I think it would be more fun if that happens on screen. So if possible could one of us be new to the group? I'll let Mummy's Bride decide which of us is new (either works fine for my concept).

Hmm. And here I was thinking we'd might be old friends. Both in service of Egyptian goddesses who I think are more or less on the same side (I'm not an Egyptian mythology expert, but I'm not aware of Sekhmet and Isis being at odds, and Sekhmet hunts down the monsters of Apep, which the Bride is more or less also doing).

In fact, the more I think about it, while I get where you want to come from with a roleplaying opportunity, can we NOT be at odds? I feel like I've been in a disproportionate number of PBPs where someone has it out for my character in particular, and I am frankly starting to feel picked on.

Moreover, I do not want an argument or conflict between two characters to predominate the "everybody get together" scene and possibly get in the way of other characters interacting. SuperTumbler in fact said he wanted everyone to already know each other; while a Session Zero might help us figure out how, I think the intent was to avoid some of the shenanigans that have contributed to parties falling apart in previous PBPs.

I am happy to discuss or RP on the side their initial meeting in the past, but I don't want to play into an opening scene conflict, sorry. At worst, she'd probably just let your character tear her apart and then show up the next day for work as usual.

ETA: Now, maybe the High Priestess Amunet doesn't like you, and that could be an amusing source of drama that could only pop up on occasion.

As for who joined first, Helen has been adventuring since the 1930s, so I would expect she is the more senior member of the team.

In general to everyone, we may wish to discuss, indeed, how we know each other and maybe some general beats of how we get along.

Also, I'm assuming that working for Monsters Inc is NOT a full time job, it's more like Justice League in that we get called together for missions and have a life outside the group. If the plan is more for us to be living together that's fine, I can tweak things

That was my sense and we were not living together full time, as a rule, though we might retreat to a base of operations if the story demanded (I believe the Phantom has a lair we could use).

pauljathome wrote:

Session zero.

My character is going to initially react badly to The Mummys Bride. .

Hmm. And here I was thinking we'd might be old friends. Both in service of goddesses (I'm not an Egyptian mythology expert, but I'm not aware of Sekhmet and Isis being at odds, and Sekhmet hunts down the monsters of Apep, which the Bride is more or less also doing)

Ok, that all works with me. We have definitely wound up being friends and allies. You're quite right, our goals align and once I knew your back history I'd see you as originally a victim and now a friend and ally, an ally who actually understands how things SHOULD be done :-).

But my first reaction on seeing a mummy would have been "Foul undead beast. Kill!!!!!"

I love your thought that you let me tear you apart and then came back the next day to talk. That is very much in tune with Sehkmet. She loses her temper, strikes out, then later calms down and can be talked to/reasoned with. If you're ok with that lets make that our official back story.

As for who joined first, Helen has been adventuring since the 1930s, so I would expect she is the more senior member of the team.

Bram Stoker originally published Dracula in 1897, so I'm hanging my character's timeline on that. So, he became a vampire in the decades before 1897. I imagined him being hunted and recruited before the first world war by the nascent organization that probably was not government owned or led at that time. Probably just some aristocrats and Van Helsings hunting vampires and other monsters.

That was my sense and we were not living together full time, as a rule, though we might retreat to a base of operations if the story demanded (I believe the Phantom has a lair we could use).

Like Hellboy, Jonathan would live full-time at the base of operations. He feels protected from vampire hunters, gets his blood without having to do things for it, and has developed a lifestyle of leisure that he enjoys.

The guards of the base have a nickname for him. The junior member has to bring him his bags of blood. He has a large library with books all around and a fireplace in the middle with tables and comfy chairs. He sometimes wears a bathrobe and bunny slippers. I could go on. The image makes me smile.

DeathQuaker wrote:

pauljathome wrote:

Session zero.

My character is going to initially react badly to The Mummys Bride. .

Hmm. And here I was thinking we'd might be old friends. Both in service of goddesses (I'm not an Egyptian mythology expert, but I'm not aware of Sekhmet and Isis being at odds, and Sekhmet hunts down the monsters of Apep, which the Bride is more or less also doing)

Ok, that all works with me. We have definitely wound up being friends and allies. You're quite right, our goals align and once I knew your back history I'd see you as originally a victim and now a friend and ally, an ally who actually understands how things SHOULD be done :-).

But my first reaction on seeing a mummy would have been "Foul undead beast. Kill!!!!!"

I love your thought that you let me tear you apart and then came back the next day to talk. That is very much in tune with Sehkmet. She loses her temper, strikes out, then later calms down and can be talked to/reasoned with. If you're ok with that lets make that our official back story.

That absolutely works for me. I can see perhaps the first time they meet, Helen is in Mummy Form, perhaps even a bit ragged from a recent conflict, and your character thinks she is a straggler from the team's recent fight. After her initial protests are for naught, Helen simply sighs, reverts to her human form and says, "See you tomorrow everyone," as you tear through her like paper.

Then she walks into the team's briefing room the next day with a box of donuts and says, "Can we talk first this time?"

----

Updated my character sheet a little. Removed immunity to starvation/thirst to give her two more points of Toughness; doesn't max it out but at least pushes her tankiness to where it needs to be. And on reflection, as the Egyptians believed food and drink was necessary to feed the ka (part of the spirit), which is why there's food in tombs, she shouldn't have that immunity. What happens if she starves to death? I assume she resurrects hungry and if she doesn't eat soon will die again. "Oh, that time I got lost in the Sahara was awful. I ran out of water. I'd crumble apart, return, and then fall apart by the end of the day. Once my remains blew away in a sandstorm. That was a most unpleasant reconstitution. Fortunately I finally made it to the oasis, but I swear to this day I've still got sand lodged in places you don't want to know about."

On the subject of triggering, I'm good with everything everyone else has said. I find sexual assault distasteful and sexual assault on children is right out. Beyond that, I'm okay with just about anything. I'm fine with the level of violence found in Universal Monsters pictures.

I'll post Henrietta's origin story later today, but for session zero purposes, she is reasonably young. She is not immortal by any stretch of the imagination and is only about 36 years old (she is a doctor). Knowing her, all of you would know her "condition" and know to stand clear when she enters melee as Ms. Hyde (she sometimes doesn't differentiate between friend and foe).

Just to repeat what's been said for clarification's sake, I'm pasting in the guidance for caps here:

Super helpful thanks

Looking at it. I think I can make it work now.
Just some tweeking

Session zero, I can see it down, depending on what the GM wants as a start, You may already have had an invitation to Lord Hathaways Manor house.

"Oh, that time I got lost in the Sahara was awful. I ran out of water. I'd crumble apart, return, and then fall apart by the end of the day. Once my remains blew away in a sandstorm. That was a most unpleasant reconstitution. Fortunately I finally made it to the oasis, but I swear to this day I've still got sand lodged in places you don't want to know about."

Ok, with THAT sense of humour we've definitely become friends :-) :-)

Done and all done, Its Bio-Skin tech is time limited like the Dark Mans.
TBC with GM.

Phantom now has the feel of the Opera Phantom and the Dark Man vib.

Session Zero: I'm not vehemently opposed to anything, but if the campaign devolves too much into gore, violence porn, or too many overtly sexual situations, my interest will most likely wane. If it works to enhance the story, fine; if it becomes the story, not so much.

As far as the Invisible Man's ability to be in certain compromising situations, that's why I deliberately made him as someone trying to karmaically correct the ignoble actions of past Invisible Men.

I'm not really against romance involving my PC, but I won't seek it out, and I prefer it remain mostly between panels.

Finally, a couple notes for the GM:

1) Can we get a Gameplay thread up so that we do the ol' dot-and-delete so that this thread appears on my campaign tab?

2) Also, since this is a Universal Monsters campaign, I've recently learned that Cocaine Bear is a Universal Studios movie. I'm just going to drop that tidbit out here and see what happens.

I think the GM is basing this in 1950 horror, so scenes can be

Cut to wall as shadows show the carnage while some one screams!!

And sex, not a chance getting that past the censers, holding hands, Hugs and a kiss with head to camira,

1950 Horror Cinematography

Session Zero

So, I've ideas on the origin of the agency (as first a bunch of aristocrats and Van Helsings), but obviously need ST to weigh in with what he wants. Since I'm excited to play this game, I want to work on a timeline of all the character's recruiting, so we can visualize the duration of the PC relationships as a component for what their current state is. Also, the agency may be influenced by older recruits, like BPRD was built around Abe and Hellboy.

Obviously, please correct my guesses. I don't need exact years unless you want. I was just placing the recruitments between major world milestones.

1900
• Jonathan Harker recruited
WW1
• Mummy's Bride recruited
• Sekmet recruited
WW2
• Auto-Frankenstein recruited
2000
• Benjamin Griffin/Son of the Invisible Man recruited
• Henrietta Jekyll/Ms. Hyde recruited
• Lord Hathaway recruited

Sounds like Torchwood

Jubal Breakbottle, I would check that the GM has said about PCs and the Harrafilms the game is linked too.

Note my PC as a base of operation. As talked about on here on thread. I have spend the points on his wealth and Equipment to the Stately Home/Lab , and have his backstory with the Hathaway Institute. Your Idea of the Agency is very similar, it could be that lord Hathaway has offered the you or the Agency a new home after an unfortunate incident... plothocks anyone

As for Hathway, time and place,
Lord Hathaway is just post WW2, in the last 1950s early 60s Golden age of Hollywood and swinging london 60s, he is older than he looks having his aflection regeneration. As he is only ever seen in public with a mask, it would be hard to know how old he really is. I love the idea he was at Woodstock and knew Andy Warhol etc I also like the idea that PHANTOM has been around from about that time, years with no sighting then out once more.

Note: I have tailed him to be trapped in his form, {much like deadpool} *no other simplatrites. After he was Treated with medicines unknown,or he would just get himself "fixed' with someones super power,
He is forever Deformed, and no plastic surgery or treatment can alter that.

WW1
•
• Sekmet recruited

No, I see Sehkmet as a very recent addition, within the last 2 years or so at most. She has no immortality or non aging powers at all

Timeline, Rev A

1900
• Jonathan Harker recruited
WW1
• Mummy's Bride recruited
WW2
• Lord Hathaway recruited / subsidizes organization
• Auto-Frankenstein recruited
2000
• Benjamin Griffin/Son of the Invisible Man recruited
• Henrietta Jekyll/Ms. Hyde recruited
2020
• Sehkmet recruited

Sorry for the delay, everyone. There is now a campaign with gameplay and discussion threads.

I'm going to catch up, answer some questions, and try to get my paperwork in order. Feel free to continue the discussion in discussion.

Gameplay.

Finally finished. Here's Henrietta.

And here's Ms. Hyde.

Timeline, Rev A

1900
• Jonathan Harker recruited
WW1
• Mummy's Bride recruited
WW2
• Lord Hathaway recruited / subsidizes organization
• Auto-Frankenstein recruited
2000
• Benjamin Griffin/Son of the Invisible Man recruited
• Henrietta Jekyll/Ms. Hyde recruited
2020
• Sehkmet recruited

I'm envisioning Tori as a much more recent recruit than that, probably joining up no earlier than 2020. She's Gen-Z (could the walking corpse not be?). Her whole ship of Theseus body starts because of congenital issues rather than aging (even though she won't ever really need to age).

She'd have been a bit of a delinquent about things (not like, exclusively purely victimless crimes, particularly if you object to grave robbing, though donated cadavers are her preference), especially once all her replacements and improvements had tipped her over into becoming the Auto-Frankenstein, so she probably got Looked Into by the Regiment and then everyone involved preferred recruiting her to researching a proper way to get rid of her.

Dunno if there's anyone who wants to have been the main voice in favor of bringing her on board, or the main voice against/who needed the most convincing, but that could be fun. (Or Sekhmet could have been hunting her, which brought both of them to the team's attention?)

She sticks with the team partially out of basic press-ganging, but it's also a very welcome bit of direction in a life that she's starting to realize probably won't ever fit back in the lines.

***

Session 0 Lines/Veils stuff. That all sounds good - I plan on a bit of body horror topics what with the autonomous body parts and travel-by-tendon, and Linda Blair-style movements, but my intended tone isn't gory. I think Tori will be a bit of a casual flirt, but I'll make sure to leave The Bride out of it unless I think there's enough there-there to warrant making a pitch to Quaker.